Evaluation and Comparison of US Wind and Skipjack Proposed Offshore Wind Project Applications
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Evaluation and Comparison of US Wind and Skipjack Proposed Offshore Wind Project Applications REVISED Public Version prepared for the Maryland Public Service Commission Original – December 11, 2016 Revised – March 17, 2017 100 SUMMER STREET, SUITE 3200 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02110 TEL 617-531-2818 FAX 617-531-2826 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... ES - 1 Process and Schedule ............................................................................................................ ES - 1 Evaluation Methodology ....................................................................................................... ES - 3 Overview of the Proposed Offshore Wind Projects .............................................................. ES - 4 Determination of Administrative Completeness – COMAR 20.61.06.02 A .......................... ES - 6 Applicant Information – COMAR 20.61.06.02 E .................................................................... ES - 6 Applicant Information – COMAR 20.61.06.02 F .................................................................... ES - 8 Project Information – COMAR 20.61.06.02 G ..................................................................... ES - 10 Project Information – COMAR 20.61.06.02 H ..................................................................... ES - 17 Project Information – COMAR 20.61.06.02 I....................................................................... ES - 18 Commercial Information – COMAR 20.61.06.02 J .............................................................. ES - 19 Financial Information – COMAR 20.61.06.02 K ................................................................... ES - 20 Cost-Benefit Analysis – COMAR 20.61.06.02 L .................................................................... ES - 23 OREC Price and Quantity – COMAR 20.61.06.02 M and N ................................................. ES - 27 Minimum Threshold Criteria Recommendation– COMAR 20.61.06.03 A(1)-(6) ................ ES - 29 Qualitative Analysis – COMAR 20.61.06.03 B(1) ................................................................. ES - 30 Quantitative Rate Analysis – COMAR 20.61.06.03 B(2)(a) .................................................. ES - 31 Quantitative Economic Analysis – COMAR 20.61.06.03 B(2)(b) ......................................... ES - 39 Quantitative Environmental and Health Analysis – COMAR 20.61.06.03 B(3) ................... ES - 39 Risk Factors, Similarities, Differentiators, and Approval Requirements ............................. ES - 40 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 Offshore Wind Regulations ......................................................................................................... 2 OREC Application Evaluation Process ......................................................................................... 2 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 4 Project Capital Cost ..................................................................................................................... 4 Power Market Price and Net Rate Impact Calculations .............................................................. 4 Wholesale Energy Prices ........................................................................................................... 13 Evaluation of the US Wind Application................................................................................. 22 Applicant Information ............................................................................................................... 22 Project Information ................................................................................................................... 31 Commercial Information ........................................................................................................... 54 Financial Information ................................................................................................................ 57 Cost-Benefit Analysis ................................................................................................................. 62 Minimum Threshold Criteria ..................................................................................................... 70 - i - Independent Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses ................................................................ 72 Qualitative Analysis ................................................................................................................... 72 Quantitative Analysis – Net Rate Impacts ................................................................................. 84 Quantitative Analysis – Economic Impacts ............................................................................... 90 Quantitative Analysis – Environmental and Health Impacts .................................................... 91 Evaluation of the Skipjack Wind Farm Application ............................................................... 93 Applicant Information ............................................................................................................... 93 Project Information ................................................................................................................... 98 Commercial Information ......................................................................................................... 119 Financial Information .............................................................................................................. 121 Cost-Benefit Analysis ............................................................................................................... 128 Minimum Threshold Criteria ................................................................................................... 139 Independent Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses .............................................................. 141 Qualitative Analysis ................................................................................................................. 142 Quantitative Analysis – Net Rate Impacts ............................................................................... 151 Quantitative Analysis – Economic Impacts ............................................................................. 158 Quantitative Analysis – Environmental and Health Impacts .................................................. 159 - ii - FIGURES Figure 1. BOEM Mid-Atlantic Wind Energy Areas ....................................................................ES - 2 Figure 2. Relative Turbine and Rotor Sizes ........................................................................... ES - 13 Figure 3. Typical Offshore Wind Components ...................................................................... ES - 17 Figure 4. Independent Estimate of US Wind Annual Ratepayer Costs ................................. ES - 38 Figure 5. Independent Estimate of Skipjack Annual Ratepayer Costs .................................. ES - 38 Figure 6. PJM Locational Deliverability Areas ................................................................................ 6 Figure 7. Shift in VRR Demand Curve due to PJM’s New Load Forecast Methodology............... 10 Figure 8. Sample BRA Supply and Demand Curves for the MAAC LDA ....................................... 11 Figure 9. Historical and Independent Forecast of EMAAC Capacity Prices ................................. 13 Figure 10. Map of PJM Transmission Zones ................................................................................. 14 Figure 11. Independent Forecast of Henry Hub and Delivered Gas Prices in Maryland ............. 16 Figure 12. Independent Forecast of CO2 Allowance Prices ......................................................... 17 Figure 13. Maryland Tier 1 REC Req’ts, OREC Carve-Out, and Retail Electricity Sales ................ 18 Figure 14. Historical and Independent Forecast of Maryland Tier 1 REC Prices ......................... 19 Figure 15. Indep. Estimate of Annual Ratepayer Costs & Benefits for US Wind Project ............. 88 Figure 16. Indep. Estimate of Total Ratepayer Costs & Benefits for the US Wind Project.......... 89 Figure 17. Independent Estimate of Annual Ratepayer Cost for the Skipjack Project .............. 156 Figure 18. Indep. Estimate of Ratepayer Cost and Benefits for the Skipjack Project ................ 157 - iii - TABLES Table 1. Applicants’ Estimates of In-State Economic Benefits ............................................... ES-24 Table 2. Applicants’ Estimates of Lifecycle Avoided Emissions .............................................. ES-26 Table 3. Qualitative Color-Coding of Applications as Submitted ............................................ ES-31 Table 4. Independent Estimate of Net Ratepayer Costs ......................................................... ES-36 Table 5. Independent Estimates of In-State Economic Benefits............................................. ES-39 Table 6. Independent Estimate of Average Annual Change in Maryland Air Emissions ........ ES-40 Table 7. Project Approval Requirements ................................................................................. ES-42 Table 8. Independent Market Response Calculation ....................................................................